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Communications

Delta II | Iridium 15

Delta II 7920-10C
Jul 9, 1997, 1:04 PM UTC
Jul 9, 1997, 1:04 PM UTC
Mission Elapsed Time
T-00:00:00

Mission Details

Iridium provides global mobile telecommunications services using a constellation of 66 low earth orbit satellites in a 86.4° inclined orbit. Although 77 satellites were originally envisioned for the system and spawned the name based on the 77th element in the periodic table, the system has been scaled back. Motorola's Satellite Communications Group designed and manufactured the Iridium satellites with Lockheed Martin providing the LM-700A spacecraft buses.

Type
Communications
Orbit
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
Programs
Iridium Constellation

Launch Site

Pad
Space Launch Complex 2W
Location
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Country
🇺🇸 USA
Space Launch Complex 2W map

Weather at Launch

Temp
13.3°C
Wind
3 km/h @ 243°
Sky
Partly cloudy
Source
open-meteo-archive